Whether it’s in Dublin, Kildare or Leitrim, the task of looking for office space is definitely no small feat. There are so many factors to take into consideration to ensure that the investment you’re making in office space is a sound one, and one that will benefit your business in the long-term.
The good news is that there are some points that you can focus on to make the process a little easier. Here, we’re going to run through some of the things that you should look out for when it comes to renting office space for your business.
Size
For an average estimate, you should plan on renting at least 70 square feet of space per person that you’ll have working in your office. That said; no one knows your business better than you so, depending on the nature of your business, you may need a lot more space.
- What size desks do you need?
- Will you need big tables where plans can be rolled out and worked on?
- Are weekly meetings a necessity?
- Will you have part-time staff that’ll need an office desk when they come to work?
- Do you plan on scaling your business and taking on more employees?
- Will your employees need an area where they can take a break, and eat lunch?
Answering all of these questions is important before choosing an office space. And remember; it’s always a good idea to think of the big picture and the future growth of your company, as you don’t want space restrictions to be the reason why your business doesn’t reach its full potential.
Cost
Price is probably the most important factor to consider when choosing an office space to rent, as it can be difficult to get the balance right and a wrong decision could be detrimental to the success of your venture.
Cutting costs and settling for an office space you are not happy with can lead to problems down the line and necessitate the need to move. Similarly, spending too much can be an issue, causing huge amounts of stress and also requiring you to move your business again if you cannot make rent payments.
Give yourself enough time to find an office that reasonably falls within your budget so you can get the most out of your investment.
Location
It’s all comes down to ‘location, location, location’ when renting office space. Important questions to ask yourself include:
- Is it close to public transportation?
- How long, on average, will your employees spend commuting to work?
- Is there parking for both employees and clients? Is it free or is there a charge?
- What is the reputation of that area? What will people associate with your business being located where it is?
- If applicable, are you close to the airport?
- Are there hotels nearby?
Facilities Available
You will want to take a close look and gather detailed information about the infrastructure and internal workings of a potential office space.
- Is there internet already in the building?
- Is the use included in your rent or do you have to pay separately?
- If you have to pay separately, do you pay a flat fee or a usage fee?
- How fast is the internet? Ask to do a speed test on the connection level.
- What telephone service provider is used and also, is there good 3G-phone coverage?
- How does the postal service work?
- Can the internet and telephone lines handle your work flow and/or projected work flow as they are?
- Or will the lines need a major upgrade to handle your work capacity?
Again, a lot of questions to ask yourself but each one is as important as the next so don’t skimp on any of the finer details.
With a bit of planning and preparation you will be on your way to making a solid investment for your next rented office space. When the work is flowing, you will be so happy you put the time into finding the best office environment for your business. You can trust us on that.
